Spain's Cubic GG Bioclimatic House Cuts Heating Bills by 76.77%

The GG Bioclimatic House is a low-impact wooden home in the mountains northeast of Barcelona that uses 76.77% less energy for heating than traditional residences. Designed by Alventosa Morell Arquitectes, the project consists of six prefabricated modules that blend with the trees and rich vegetation. The home employs a variety of design strategies to strive for the Passivhaus standard without sacrificing comfort.

In order to optimize construction details while minimizing costs, Alventosa Morell Arquitectes opted to use wood as the sole building material. This forced them to work with a specific industry, which reduced possibilities but also made the project less likely to go off plan, or over budget. In addition to seeking out specialized industry knowledge, the architects carried out a bioclimatic study to ensure that only the most appropriate design strategies were employed.

One of the home’s key features is an interstitial space that joins the six different modules. The modules act as solar collectors during the winter to warm the interior, while during the summer they transform into a covered outdoor terraces with direct links to the surrounding garden. The home’s envelope boasts high thermal resistance, which means that it takes very little energy to heat the interior.